Champions League Final: Manchester City Outlast Inter Milan to Win the European Cup and the Treble

The biggest match in club football each season was played earlier today at Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, and it featured English champions Manchester City versus Italian giants Internazionale Milan. All of the intrigue pre-match was focused on manager Pep Guardiola and City, as they had an opportunity to do something done only once before in English football – winning the Treble (Premier League, FA Cup, and CL/European Cup). City have come agonizingly close to winning Europe’s biggest competition in previous seasons, only to fall short in the final or semifinals. Inter and manager Simone Inzaghi for their part were looking to play spoiler and bring home their first European Cup since 2010. City were heavy favorites coming into the match given how well they have played this season, but there was a bit of a head-scratcher pre-match when Guardiola elected to tinker with his line-up and switch to a back-3 in defense instead of the usual back-4. Guardiola has a reputation for trying to out-think his opponents in final matches, and it has bitten him in the behind before.

It was warm and humid in Istanbul at kick off, and the teams spent the first few minutes feeling each other out. City winger Bernardo Silva had a good chance 8 minutes in when he dribbled into space in the box and lashed a shot wide of the far post. Inter’s defense solidified a bit after that, and City found it hard to create good chances. They didn’t get their next real opportunity until just past the 30 minute mark, when all-world striker Erling Haaland turned his defender and got a shot on goal. The angle was tight however, and Inter keeper André Onana was able to parry it away with his leg. Inter were getting the ball forward decently well themselves, but there was a lack of sharpness from them on the final pass. Too often they were shooting from distance instead of passing.

City were dealt a blow on 36 minutes when star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne was forced off through injury, and a lot of the action stopped too due to his substitution. It was unfortunate for him and a big loss for City, as there are times when de Bruyne is unplayable in the middle of the park. Was this their curse rearing it’s ugly head again? De Bruyne was replaced by midfielder/winger Phil Foden without further tactical adjustment from Guardiola. There weren’t many goal-mouth chances after that though, and it was 0-0 at halftime. Inzaghi was likely the happier of the two managers at the break, as his back-3 defenders Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni had all done very well.

The second half started similar to the first – lots of possession in midfield for both sides but few chances created. Inter striker Lautaro Martinez was put through on goal by a wayward City back-pass, but City keeper Ederson was able to cover and clear the danger. City began another push for a goal shortly after that error though, and they were rewarded for their endeavors on 68 minutes. Center back Manuel Akanji brought the ball towards the edge of the box before slipping a pass through to Silva, although the angle of the ball took him wide to the right of the goal. He hit a cut-back cross towards the middle, but it hit an Inter defender and bounced into space inside the box. City’s defensive midfielder Rodri was on hand to pounce on it, and he side-footed a shot through the bodies in front of him. It was hit low and with a bit of power, and it settled neatly into the corner of the Inter net. Onana had no chance, and City celebrated wildly. The big Spaniard Rodri is not a goal-scorer normally, but he showed great technique with his finish from about 16 yards out.

Inter almost got an immediate response on 71 minutes when wingback Federico Dimarco saw his header hit the cross bar. It bounced right back to him after that, but his second attempt at a header was accidently blocked by substitute Inter striker Romelu Lukaku. Incredibly bad luck for the two of them there. Foden then almost sealed the trophy a few minutes after that with a lovely turn on the edge of the area that put him through on goal. His shot was a little rushed though and he didn’t get power or placement on it, and Onana was able to make a cat-like save down low. Milan then got another brilliant chance for an equalizer, only for the headed effort from Lukaku to be miraculously saved by Ederson from a scant five yards out. Replays showed that this was again nothing but dumb luck for City. Ederson completely missed the ball with his hands, but his left leg just so happened to be in the way and the ball went out for a corner. How it didn’t go in for Lukaku, I will never know.

Ederson was required to make one final save from a header after a corner deep into stoppage time, but that was the final action of the match. The whistle blew after 5+ minutes of stoppage time and City won their first European Cup in their history. They were probably the better team on the day, so from a pure footballing standpoint no one claim that they stole it or got outplayed. Congratulations to the individual players, particularly their English ones (Foden, winger Jack Grealish, and center back John Stones). The fact that they can lose a player like de Bruyne in the first half and not really miss him shows just how loaded with talent this team is.

But how did they accumulate all this talent? How did City assemble such a dominant roster? Well they have a ton of money for one, as they are owned by the government of Kuwait, a small but oil-rich nation in the Middle East. They have spent billions of pounds on this team, and the European Cup is the biggest reward possible for that investment. Many big clubs in England and across Europe have a ton of money though, so it’s not really their financial value I take issue with.

For me, there will always be an asterisk next to this trophy and every other trophy won by this current iteration of Manchester City. They are currently under investigation by the English FA and UEFA for 115 separate violations of the Financial Fair Play laws, meaning that it’s possible (even likely) they broke numerous rules on buying and paying their various players. No one dressed in sky blue will care about that today, but it is something worth considering for the neutral. The Premier League must punish City for these violations, otherwise it sends the message that whoever has the most money is going to win the big trophies. That might be fine for other sports, but such blatant rule violations from a nation-state backed club are an affront to the traditions of the game. However, City are just as good in the legal department as they are on the pitch. They have an army of lawyers that will fight these charges and allegations, and it’s possible that they may get away with committing these violations unpenalized. The various governing bodies of European football really need to look at their Financial Fair Play rules and actually enforce them with points deductions and the taking away of trophies if they want to prevent this sort of thing from happening. They can’t just fine a club and expect behavior to change. Issuing a fine to a club like City is laughable. They’ll just pay it and then carry on doing what they were doing!

So not a classic match in terms of drama, but still a decent game of football to end the season on. Inter fought until the bitter end. Credit to Guardiola and his players, but that is where the credit stops. And no matter how many Trebles City win, Manchester United will always be the first one to do it. We also did it without the backing of an oil state, and mostly with academy players!

FA Cup Final: United’s Good Season Ends on a Sour Note

The whole of Manchester travelled south to London earlier today for the FA Cup Final, featuring Manchester City vs. Manchester United. Despite the long and storied history of the Manchester Derby, there has never been one in an FA Cup Final before today. City and manager Pep Guardiola are the precipice of winning the the Treble, while this match was United’s final one of the season and their last chance to win silverware. The atmosphere inside a packed and sun-drenched Wembley Stadium was jubilant and boisterous in the run-up to kick off. United were not playing at full strength going into this match, thanks to the injury absences of striker Anthony Martial and winger Antony dos Santos. Both of them would have started this match had they been fit.

Unfortunately for the Red Devils, they were behind just 12 seconds into the match after an exquisite finish from City midfielder İlkay Gündoğan. A long ball was played forward and won on the edge of the box by midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, and no one was covering Gündoğan as it fell right to him. It was a great finish of course and United keeper David De Gea had no chance at it, but it was a soft goal to concede that was really down to poor marking in the United midfield. With this goal, Gündoğan set a record for the fastest goal in the FA Cup Final and it put United under serious pressure immediately. Whatever Plan A was for the Red Devils, it was now out the window.

However, the lads did well to weather the storm. There was a serious danger of us collapsing having conceded so early, but the back-4 stuck to the task and held United together while the midfield and forwards sorted themselves out. United got an earned equalizer on 33 minutes from the penalty spot, after City winger Jack Grealish was adjudged to have used his hand in an attempt to clear a cross in the penalty area. The handball rule has serious flaws to it, but it was indeed a handball as the rule is currently written. Grealish had his hand over his head and the ball struck it. A discussion needs to be had in the close season about the how to re-word the rule, but this was indeed a penalty per the current letter of the law. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes stepped up to the spot and sent City keeper Stefan Ortega the wrong way for 1-1. Great fightback by United to get an equalizer, and it was all square going into half time.

City went ahead again however on 51 minutes, and this goal was probably even softer than the first one. City had a corner and the ball was whipped in by De Bruyne, who had spotted Gündoğan unmarked on the edge of the area. De Bruyne expertly put it on his left foot, and Gündoğan hit it first time on the volley from the edge of the area. It went through a sea of bodies in the box and nestled into the lower left corner of the goal. De Gea could have gotten over to it a bit quicker, but as to why Gündoğan was left unmarked at the edge of the box I will never know. Very poor defending, and City punished United for it.

City came close to getting a third a few times including having a goal waived off for offside, but United had a few chances of their own as the second half wore on. Substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho went close after some neat dribbling in the box, only to see his shot go just wide of the far post. Midfielder Scott McTominay also almost netted an equalizer in stoppage time during a goal-mouth scramble, but the City defense did just enough to put the ball out over the crossbar. The final whistle eventually blew and Manchester City won the FA Cup.

What’s most annoying about this result is that United had their chances to win, they just didn’t execute as well as City in the final third and conceded two soft goals. Had City come out and flattened us it would have been hard to complain about the result, but this one is agonizing due to the fact that United could have easily won it. City did not play up to their standards today, but they still won due to being clinical at the right times. The case could be made that the referee did not do much to help United with several questionable calls, but that doesn’t change the fact that United weren’t good enough going forward. Maybe a full strength side gets a different result today, but we’ll never know.

Still though, United had a very good first season under manager Erik ten Hag and this result does not spoil the progress made. They are still League Cup winners and will be playing in the Champions League next season. No one dressed in red should feel too bad about how the season has gone overall. However, United’s ownership cannot stall now. This club needs investment, and it needs it badly. It’s not just about buying new players, either. The Glazer family as owners must stop extracting funds from the club to line their own pockets and instead reinvest the profits into the club’s infrastructure. City have benefited from over a billion pounds of investment from their Kuwaiti owners in the last few years, and they are winning trophy after trophy as a result. United can do that too with less greedy owners. The club’s most urgent needs right now are a striker, a second option at goalkeeper, and ball-carrying midfielder.

It will be interesting to see what happens this summer for United, particularly for the long-tenured De Gea, center back Harry Maguire, McTominay, and midfielder Fred. We need to remove some of the hefty wages from our wage bill, and some hard decisions will indeed be made in the coming weeks. I trust ETH to make the right decisions in terms of continuing the rebuild, but I do not trust our ownership to back him in the way that he needs. The sooner this club is sold, the better. More on that in a separate post down the road. I will also cover the Champions League Final next Saturday, and I will be supporting Inter Milan.

For the last time this club season: GLAZERS OUT!

Premier League: Manchester is RED!

Manchester United played host to cross-town rivals Manchester City earlier today at Old Trafford, in a tie that is referred to by many as the Manchester Derby. This matchup is always fiercely contested and full of drama, with today being no exception. United and manager Erik ten Hag were looking for a bit of vengeance after City shellacked them 6-3 earlier this season. City, led by manager Pep Guardiola and all-world striker Erling Haaland, were looking to gain ground on league leaders Arsenal. Given City’s budget and resources, they are expected to challenge for the title every season. They were of course second in the Prem going into the match, while United were level on points with Newcastle in 3rd. As usual, this was a very high-stakes match for both sides.

The opening 45 minutes were fairly open in terms of chances created, and although neither team recorded a goal in the first half, United looked more likely to score. Attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes saw his shot from a tight angle go just wide of City keeper Ederson’s far post on 10 minutes. Striker Marcus Rashford was also causing problems for City down the left hand side of the wing, and he was through on goal around the half hour mark only to see his shot smothered by the onrushing Ederson. There were several other decent-to-good chances created by United, only for the City defense to clear the ball at the last second. City’s closest effort of the half came just before via halftime when a swerving, long-range effort from right back Kyle Walker flew just wide of keeper David De Gea’s post. While United did well to keep City from registering a shot on target in the first half, there was some concern about them finishing their own chances.

City looked to take advantage of United’s lack of finishing in the early part of the second half. Guardiola’s men were growing into the game and finally establishing some possession. Substitute winger/forward Jack Grealish was brought on around 57 minutes, and he made an immediate impact with the opening goal of the game right on the hour mark. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne took advantage of a gap in the defense and ran into the United penalty area. He reached the end line and squeezed an aerial cross in just before the ball went out. The United back line failed to pick up Grealish’s run towards the goal and he headed home the cross past De Gea from close range for 1-0. A good goal, but De Bruyne never should have been allowed to run into the box. You can’t let a dangerous player such as him get into that position, because he’ll either punish you himself or more likely he’ll find the perfect pass for a shooting chance. Poor defending, but City took advantage while United (up until that point) had not done so.

It wouldn’t be the Manchester Derby without a bit of controversy, and we got a more than generous portion of it on our plates when United equalized on 78 minutes via Bruno. United had responded well to going down by re-asserting themselves in the attacking third and establishing more possession, but this was their most dangerous move up to that point. The ball was played over the top of the defense by midfielder Casemiro towards Rashford. Rashford was in an offside position when the ball was played to him, but he cleverly did not touch the ball while running onto it. The City defense had largely stopped playing, assuming the linesman’s offside flag was going to go up. It did not however, and Rashford left the ball for Bruno who lifted it over Ederson and into the goal from about 20 yards out. A great finish from Bruno, but the offside flag had been raised once the ball went in. Bruno, Rashford, and roughly half the United team ran over to remonstrate with the linesman, and eventually referee Stuart Atwell went over and consulted with his linesman as well. After a discussion, the goal was awarded and United were level! More on this goal below.

City were clearly mentally shook by the goal, and the Red Devils smelled blood in the water. It took them only four minutes to get the second goal. United recovered the ball in their own half, with Bruno then playing a difficult reverse pass out to the left wing and into the feet of substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho. Garnacho ran forward and into the left side of the City penalty area. He attempted an aerial cross towards the goal, but it was blocked and bounced right back to him. He twisted around a bit and this time got in a lower cross with his left foot, which seemed to take the City defense by surprise. His low cross found Rashford in front of the goal, and he stabbed it home under Ederson from about 3 yards out. A big lapse in concentration from City’s center backs, there. Garnacho did well to lose his marker and get the cross in, but the marking from City was almost non-existent. Rashford is in the best form of his career right now, and he was never going to miss from there.

It was a tense final 12-13 minutes or so, but United held on and won 2-1! A huge, huge victory for us and a big message from ETH to the footballing world. His tactics and team selection were spot-on today, and he must be given all the credit in the world for the job he’s done in turning this club around. He has empowered his players to be at their best while still holding them accountable if they don’t play up to the standard he’s set for them. It’s insanely difficult to walk that fine line, but he’s done it masterfully. Fantastic matches from Bruno, Rashford, Casemiro, midfielder Fred, and center back Luke Shaw, but I also want to highlight the contributions of right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. His poor form and low confidence last season led many to believe his United career would soon be ending, but he played exceptionally well today and in the past few matches. He’s always been known to be a good tackler of the ball, but it was his attacking contributions today that need extra praise. His mazy run on 66 minutes where he went around three City players galvanized the team and the fans in the stadium! Can’t understate the importance of his play today.

As for the first goal, a close examination and reading of Law 11 must be done. Law 11, which is one of the Football Association’s Laws of the Game, dictates the rules surrounding offsides. I won’t write the whole law out because it’s long and boring, but the argument here centers on whether or not Rashford “interfered” with a City player’s ability to play the ball when he ran onto Casemiro’s pass. Replays showed he did not touch the ball, but he was running right behind it for about 3-4 yards before he left it for Bruno to finish. The eye test suggests that Rashford was “interfering” with the ball by being so close to it, but the letter of the law seems to clash with what most would consider to be “interference”. Rashford did not touch the ball, did not block off any defenders, nor did he impede Ederson from running out to make a save. City’s defense had largely stopped on their own because they thought offside would be called, which is an unprofessional move. In every sport, you play until the whistle! Had they made a better attempt to get to the ball, offside against Rashford probably would have been called. The argument could be made that the law needs to be re-written to address the subjectiveness of what is “interfering” and what isn’t, but there was no offside with how the rule is currently written. Lastly, had City played better over the course of the match and scored more than one goal, this alleged offside is a non-issue.

United are now in sole possession of 3rd in the Premier League table, just one point behind City in 2nd. Don’t look now, but United are also just 5 points back of league leaders Arsenal. For the first time in a long time, I can confidently say that United are in the title race! It’s only January so there’s a ways to go still, but I am more than happy with where the club is competitively right now. They just took on the best striker in the world in Haaland and didn’t let him have a single sniff of the goal. We are playing with a confidence and desire not seen since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson. After several seasons of inconsistency, I am finding joy in being a United supporter again.

The lads should celebrate tonight, but as of tomorrow the focus needs to be back. Next match is a trip to London on Wednesday for another Premier League clash with Crystal Palace. Three points are needed (and expected) due to having to play league leaders Arsenal away in the next match.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

World Cup Roundup – Groups E and F

FIFA and Qatar are two sides of the same corrupt coin.

That being said, what an absolute DAY at the World Cup. I still haven’t caught my breath!

Group F

Winners – Morocco

Runners Up – Croatia

Eliminated – Belgium, Canada

The big news in this group is that Belgium have been eliminated after a goalless draw with Croatia in their final group game. Belgium were very disappointing this whole tournament, and that form continued today. They were the better side in terms of possession and chances created, but of course a team doesn’t win simply by having more possession. Striker Romelu Lukaku was guilty of missing at least two gilt-edged chances, and I feel that the Lukaku of 4 years ago would have buried both of them. His form recently though simply hasn’t been good. But the Belgians can’t blame one man for their failure. They weren’t good enough in any of their matches, and the results prove it. Belgium fans will be devastated today, given that this was probably the last chance for players like Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Eden Hazard to play at a World Cup. They now face a ton of questions about their future, and they will answer those questions with out the aide of manager Roberto Martinez, who voluntarily stepped down as Belgium boss after the match. The Croatians did well to manage the game today and got a little lucky, but they’ll be happy to be through to the next round with their draw today.

A very hearty “well done” to the Moroccans today and for their general performance so far. Thy knew that a draw would likely see them through to the next round, but they went and got another victory today over already-eliminated Canada that saw them win their group! Not many would have picked them to do that before this tournament started. Winger/forward Hakim Ziyech got the first goal on 3 minutes when Canadian keeper Milan Borjan’s poor clearance fell straight to Ziyech and he chipped the keeper from about 30 yards out. The Moroccans then got a second about 20 minutes later when a long ball forward found the run of striker Youssef En-Nesyri. Despite being closely marshalled by two Canadian defenders, he got a low shot away that beat Borjan at his near post. The Canadians got one back from an own-goal on 41 minutes, but could not find another.

A day to forget for the Canadian keeper, but a day to remember for every Moroccan! They win their group for the first time in their history and become only the second African team to win their group in World Cup history!

Belgium going out and Morocco winning the group would be the story of the day if not for what happened in the other group.

Group E

Winners – Japan

Runners Up – Spain

Eliminated – Germany, Costa Rica

I don’t even know where to begin with this group. Total chaos and pandemonium from all four teams involved. Every possible mathematical permutation that could have happened did happen at one point or another during today’s matches. There was a very brief four minute window today where both the Ze Germans AND Spain were going out, and while that did not fully come to pass at the final whistles, the Germans going out is still a massive, massive, disappointment for them. Going into their final match against Costa Rica they not only needed to win, they needed a draw from the Spain-Japan match to get out of the group. They did end up winning 4-2 with forward Kai Havertz getting two goals, although it was much closer than the score line suggested. Costa Rica were right there with them most of the way. Even though Die Manschaft won, they still went out on goal difference to the Spanish. That 7-0 in favor of La Rioja against Costa Rica in the opening match ended up being very important indeed, as Spain advanced on superior goal difference. German manager Hansi Flick and all their players will be facing a lot of justified criticism for their performance in this World Cup. They never seemed to fully click. A more thorough examination of their issues is sure to come.

Both matches were great to watch, but the drama of how they impacted each other was the best thing about today. At halftime in both matches it was 1-0 to Spain and 1-0 to Germany, so it stood to reason that they would both hold on and sneak out of the group. Spain were passing the Japanese to death and the Germans looked to be revving up their goal machine.

But Japan had other ideas. In their match, the Blue Samurai came out in the second half and quickly scored two goals (48′ and 51′), one by substitute forward Ritsu Doan and the other by midfielder Ao Tanaka. The first came about due to some lackadaisical play by the Spanish, who were far too casual while playing the ball out from the back. Japan pressed and won the ball in their attacking third, after which Doan received it on the edge of the Spanish penalty area and whipped an absolute cracker of a shot off the hands of keeper Unai Simón and into the back of the net. A goal from nowhere, but that is a tactic the Japanese specialize in.

Japan had the ball forward again moments later, but this time the ball across the face of goal appeared to be just out of reach of winger Kaoru Mitoma. Mitoma still got a foot to the ball for a cross in though, and it was bundled home by the knee of Tanaka from maybe a yard out. The game was stopped for a goal check, and VAR allowed it to stand. Make no mistake, this was an insanely close call. There did appear to be some space between the ball and the end line, but it also appeared that a portion of the back half of the ball did not quite make it over the line. The camera angle made it hard to tell. In football, a ball is only out if the whole ball goes over the whole line, and the ref determined that the whole ball did not cross the whole of the line. The finest of fine margins though!

Japan then converted to a back-6 and essentially played the “attacks versus defense” training drill for the next 40 minutes, and while that is a risky strategy, it ultimately worked. The Spanish never did generate too many good chances after that, aside from two good saves from keeper Shūichi Gonda. Excellent defensive discipline from the Japanese to see it out, and it must be said that Spain were probably not in the mood to help Germany progress by scoring an equalizer.

Japan deserved this result today. I was worried about them after the first half being down 1-0 thanks to a header from striker Alvaro Morata, but their game plan for the second half was perfect. They pressed when they needed to, got a good goal as a result, and then nicked a second with a bit of good luck. They did almost the exact same thing against Germany. They were down 1-0 at the half in that match too, but got two in quick succession at the start of the second half of that match too. When something like this happens once it’s lucky, but when it’s twice it’s obviously a clear strategy.

Japanese manager Hajime Moriyasu deserves a ton of credit for today’s win. Japan’s strategy of holding on and defending for the first 45 and then really going for it in the opening 10 minutes of the second half worked perfectly – and it worked TWICE against two powerhouses of world football. The stats surrounding this team are absolutely mind-boggling. Japan is the first team ever to win a World Cup match with less than 20% possession. Indeed, their 17.7% possession today is the lowest for a winner in any World Cup match ever. They are the first team ever to come from behind and win twice in the group stage. They are the first Asian team to win their group twice. Just stunning in every which way. The party is on in Tokyo tonight!

Japan vs. Croatia – Monday, December 5th at 7 AM PST

Spain vs. Morocco – Tuesday, December 6th at 7 AM PST

World Cup Roundup – Team Chaos Reigns Supreme

Qatar is a terrible place to host a World Cup for everyone except FIFA. Corrupt and rotten to the core, every one of them.

Croatia vs. Canada

Although chaos was the theme of the day, this match was probably the most predictable one beforehand. Croatia romped to a 4-1 victory over the Canadians despite going down early. This match was one of youth and athleticism versus experience and tactics. Canada have a lot of young and talented players, and it was their superstar Alphonso Davies who got their first goal of this tournament and Canada’s first goal ever at a World Cup just two minutes into the game via a header from close range. A historic moment for their nation!

But Croatia were undeterred, to say the very least. They’ve been in this sort of position before at a World Cup, and were runners-up in 2018 for a reason. They scored the next four goals over the course of the match, with two of them coming from winger/forward Andrej Kramaric. It was a brilliant day for him and the Croatian midfield in general, with a masterclass from the aging but still all-world midfielder Luka Modric. They really gave the Canadians a lesson in how to effectively pass the ball around.

Canada have sadly been eliminated from World Cup 2022, joining Qatar. Perhaps their manager John Herdman has learned the hard way not to shoot his mouth off at opposition of this caliber in pre-match interviews. It’s clear the Croatians felt disrespected today, so they were highly motivated to win. Croatia is top of Group F on 4 points.

Morocco vs. Belgium

Okay, time for some chaos now! The Belgians were strong favorites to win Group F pre-tournament, but they lost today 2-0 to a well-disciplined and opportunistic Moroccan team.

This match was a choppy one for the most part, with Belgium in particular struggling to break down a very stubborn opposition. Belgium had the majority of the possession, but that suited Morocco just fine. Belgium’s best effort of the half came early on when Michy Batshuayi’s attempt was deflected away by Moroccan keeper Munir Mohamedi. But the Morroccans broke on the counter-attack via their speedy wingers such as Hakim Ziyech several times and were causing a ton of problems for the aging Belgian defense, either via direct attacks or by winning free kicks. Morocco thought they had a goal in first half stoppage time from a header, but it was ruled out for offside after VAR checked it.

The Moroccans held on in the second half defensively, and the later it got, the more you felt like they might nick a goal. They finally did get a goal on 73 minutes from attacking midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri, who’s free kick from near the corner flag inexplicably dipped under Belgian midfielder Thibaut Courtois for 1-0. Courtois is one of the best keepers in the world, so it was very odd to see him commit such a glaring error. He has to cover his near post from the angle, and he simply didn’t. Morocco didn’t care of course, because they were now en route to a famous victory if they could hold on for 17 minutes plus stoppage time.

Belgium poured men forward trying to find an equalizer. Their best chance came when center back Jan Vertonghen headed it just wide around 80 minutes or so. But Morocco then got their second in stoppage time via another counter-attack, with a pullback cross from the right hand side of the box finding forward Zakaria Aboukhlal in front of the goal on his own, and he made no mistake with a finish into the roof of the net. It sealed all three points for Morocco in one of their biggest results ever at a World Cup.

Belgium are in trouble. They are 3rd on 3 points, but are very much on the outside looking in. They now face the daunting prospect of playing in-form Croatia to try and stay alive and progress to the next round. To make matters worse, Vertonghen and midfielder Kevin De Bruyne are sniping at each other in the press, so one can imagine that the locker room chemistry for the Belgians is rather acidic right now. These Belgians are talented, but I think they might be coming to grips with the idea that collectively they may not be athletic enough to keep up with speedier opposition. Could this group stage be the last hurrah for Belgium’s golden generation?

Morocco are 2nd in Group F on 4 points. Croatia has the tiebreaker on goal differential. The north Africans now face already-eliminated Canada on the final matchday. It is possible they progress even if they lose to Canada, but they will want to of course guarantee progression for themselves.

Japan vs. Costa Rica

This was also another chaotic result, with the Costa Ricans shocking the Blue Samurai 1-0. Japan, fresh off their upset over Germany, were heavily favored in this match not only due to their own strengths but also the defensive frailty of Costa Rica. The Spanish put 7 goals past the Ticos on the first matchday of Group E.

But the surprising heroes on the day were the Costa Rica back four and right back Keysher Fuller, who curled home from just inside the penalty area in the 81st minute after the Japanese gave the ball away in their own final third. Keeper Shuichi Gonda got a hand to the effort but could not keep it out. Some say Gonda was at fault for the goal, but as a former amateur keeper I think that’s a tad unfair on him. It was a well-taken strike after a defensive error. He maybe could have got a stronger hand to the ball, but the Japanese defense can’t give the ball away like that.

Fuller’s goal was Costa Rica’s first of the tournament, and amazingly it was their first shot on goal as well. A very surprising and unlikely result, but this was Costa Rica’s formula in 2014 that got them to the semifinals. Militant defensive discipline and opportunistic goal scoring.

Japan could have progressed to the second round today with a win, but their loss now sees them in 2nd on 3 points. Costa Rica move up to 3rd in the group on 3 points, although Japan has the tie-breaker over them on goal difference.

Spain vs. Germany

This was the biggest matchup of the day on paper and maybe the entire group stage, as these two respective countries are powerhouses in world football. It ended 1-1 which isn’t a chaotic result in and of itself, but it did create chaos in the group standings. Coming into the match their respective moods couldn’t be more different. La Rioja were flying after their 7-0 thumping of Costa Rica, while Die Manschaft were well aware that a loss today would see them almost certainly eliminated from the tournament at the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup.

Both sides were keen to defend well and not concede, and that’s how it went for the first hour or so. I would give the Spanish a slight edge as they had more possession, but the possession wasn’t utilized towards much until just after the hour mark when veteran left back Jordi Alba received the ball on the left wing in space. He spotted the diagonal run of striker Alvaro Morata into the box, and played him the ball along the ground. Morata beat his marker to the ball and clipped it with his first touch into the air and over German keeper Manuel Neuer for 1-0. It was Spain’s most dangerous attack of the match and they did well to capitalize.

Ze Germans immediately went into attacking mode, as they had no other choice but to do so. They started pressing Spain higher up the pitch, and they began forcing some errors. Such an error led to their equalizer, when they lost the ball in their own final third. It was a well taken goal from fairly close range by substitute striker Niclas Füllkrug. He and midfielder Jamal Musiala nearly ran into each other trying to run onto Musiala’s flick around the Spanish defense, but Füllkrug got there first and lashed it into the roof of the net over keeper Unai Simón.

Credit to German manager Hansi Flick for rolling the dice and bringing on Füllkrug when they needed a goal. I’d like to see a certain England manager roll the dice when similarly needed. Musiala had an excellent match as well, particularly when they were pushing for an equalizer. They could not be eliminated today even with a loss, but a loss would have all-but-guaranteed elimination. They are still bottom of Group E on 1 point, and will need a victory over Costa Rica to secure progression. A draw does them no good.

Spain will be slightly disappointed to have given away the lead and the chance to progress, but a 1-1 draw against the Germans is never something to be too upset about. They are still top of Group E on 4 points, and can win the group with a draw against Japan if Costa Rica and Germany draw. They will want to win this group though, so I imagine they’ll go for the win and take Japan very seriously.

World Cup Roundup – Japan Stuns Germany and the Belgians Barely Escape Canada

Qatar is an Islamo-fascist police state still stuck in the Middle Ages, and the money grubbing assholes at FIFA love it. Authoritarianism is bad for humanity but good for them.

Morocco vs. Croatia

This match ended in a 0-0 draw and was a total snoozefest. Good result for Morocco against the runners-up in 2018, but neither side was impressive in attack today.

Spain vs. Costa Rica

This was a demolition of Costa Rica by the Spanish from the get-go. Spain won in dominating fashion 7-0, in what was really a disappointing outing for a Costa Rican side that made the semifinals in 2014. The Spanish under manager Luis Enrique appear to be revitalized, on the other hand. Spain have been inconsistent since their 2008-2010-2012 era of domination, and for many who cheer for La Rioja this tournament was the chance to turn over a new leaf, so to speak. Enrique has opted for youth rather than experience when he picked his team, and so far it is paying off spectacularly. Teenagers like Gavi and Ansu Fati are going to be a problem for years to come.

Given the dominating fashion of this win and what happened with Germany (see below), the Spanish are now firmly in the driver’s seat to win their group. But are they contenders to win it all? Maybe. It’s tough to say at this point. How they play against Germany and Japan will provide more insight into the answer. As for right now though, do not underestimate them. They clearly have the attacking talent to cause problems for anyone.

Belgium vs. Canada

Although Belgium won this match 1-0, it was easily the worst match I have seen from Belgium in at least 10 years. They are chock full of world-class talent but today they looked old, slow, and at times disinterested in playing hard. Canada was all over them from the outset, and it was only through the heroics of Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois that they didn’t go behind. He saved an early penalty after a Belgian handball taken by Canadian winger Alphonso Davies that kept the score level, and Davies will be absolutely kicking himself over that. His penalty was far too close to Courtois and lacked any kind of power. He also may have tipped where his shot was going during the run-up, given the positioning of his hips. He had a golden opportunity to score Canada’s first ever goal at a World Cup, but he bollocks’d it completely. Pressure!

It could be argued though that Canada should have had at least one, maybe two more penalties awarded to them in that first half. One should have definitely been given when a Canadian striker was trod upon in the area, but the referee had already improperly given an offside against Canada. There was another handball in the box later in the half, although to give that one as a penalty would have been harsh. What was clear is that the Belgian back line was at complete chaos for most of the first half, and they were extremely lucky not to concede.

The goal for the Belgians was a good one, although it was their only really good piece of attacking play and it was aided by some poor Canadian defending. A long ball was played over the top by Belgian center back Toby Alderweireld onto the run of striker Michy Batshuayi, who reached the ball before any Canadian defenders did and hit it first time on the volley into the far corner of keeper Milan Borjan’s net. They got the goal right on the edge of halftime, and it felt almost cruel to Canada. This goal was very much against the run of play, but ultimately Canada can only blame themselves. There was no pressure on Alderweireld when he passed the ball, and the run of Batshuayi beat three Canadian defenders to the ball. You can’t get beat over the top like that at this level. Had their positioning been better, they might have been able to clear the pass before it even got to Batshuayi.

The second half was far less eventful, although Belgium continued to struggle maintaining possession and surrendered several half-chances as the game progressed. Canada simply could not find a finish though. They will play better against Croatia and Tunisia, but they really let one slip through their fingers today. Belgium, for their part, will need to step their game up significantly if they want to make a deep run. They were very poor today and it was due to Courtois and dumb luck that they won. I expect players like Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard to play much better going forward.

Germany vs. Japan

This was your shocker for the day, and indeed would be the biggest shock of the tournament so far had Saudi Arabia not pulled its heroics yesterday. Japan won 2-1 after coming from behind against a much more talented German side.

Indeed, this match was eerily similar to the Saudi Arabia match in terms of how it played out. The Germans dominated the first half and went ahead on 33 minutes via a penalty from midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. No real arguments about the call as keeper Shūichi Gonda clearly fouled a German attacker when he slide-tackled to win the ball. Gundogan sent Gonda the wrong way from the spot, and it was 1-0. As with Argentina yesterday, many expected the Germans to kick on from there and win comfortably. Japan did manage to hold on until halftime only conceding one goal however, and that has proven to be a dangerous score line at this tournament. Both the Argentines and the Americans can attest to that.

They then had to rely on more defensive prowess and good keeping from Gonda to keep the Germans out. It seemed that every time a last-ditch tackle was needed, one of the Blue Samurai was on hand to make it. Germany kept getting more and more frustrated the longer it took them to find a second goal. Much like Saudi Arabia yesterday, they were saved by the offside flag and VAR several times.

Japan finally got their equalizer on 77 minutes, having grown into the game in terms of possession and creating chances around the 65 minute mark. A shot came in from the left side of the box from midfielder Kou Itakura that German keeper Manuel Neuer saved, but the rebound fell straight to substitute winger Ritsu Doan, who made no mistake when he stabbed the ball home from 5 yards out. The Germans were shocked, and it seemed like all the bad memories from their failure in 2018 came back into their minds.

Japan blew the roof off the building just five minutes later when Itakura played another ball forward along the right wing that found winger/forward Takuma Asano. He took a touch that knocked the ball into space, and he did well to hold off the German defender trying to take it off him. He got very close to Neuer’s goal before rifling a shot into the roof of the net over Neuer from a tight angle. There was a slight pause from the crowd as it appeared the shot went over the cross bar and into the roof of the net at first, but they erupted once it became clear that the shot had gone in. Great composure from Asano and well done to Japan overall for continuing to fight after going behind.

This Japanese team and their supporters are slowly but surely becoming fan favorites at this World Cup. Not only do they show spirit and togetherness on the pitch, but their supporters are showing that in the stands as well. It is a common site to see Japanese supporters helping to clean stadiums after matches, even for ones that don’t involve Japan! Such a practice is based in the Japanese cultural value of respecting public spaces and keeping them nice for everyone. It’s brilliant, really. I hope the Japanese do go far in this tournament, as they are the sort of team you want to see succeed.

The Germans have a lot of questions to answer after this match, particularly about their defensive play. The winning goal was a simple ball over the top that no one got to before Asano did. Very basic, from a tactical standpoint. Is there something mentally wrong with this German team? If so, their manager Hansi Flick needs to figure out the problem and resolve it quickly. If their defensive issues are not solved, Spain will wipe the floor with them in their next match and it could be a second consecutive group stage exit for Die Manschaft. Such a thought would have been unimaginable 10-15 years ago.

A quick (and rare) shoutout of recognition to Ze Germans though for their pre-match protest of Qatar’s human rights abuses. When they posed for their pre-match team photo, all XI men covered their mouths with their right hands. They were indicating that they would not be silenced by FIFA or Qatar, and the chancellor of the German FA has made it clear that human rights are non-negotiable for this German team. Cynics call it a hypocritical half-measure, while others see it as a way to bring the issues of human rights to the forefront.

England Uninspiring in Defeat – Congratulations to Wales

With the club season now fully over and done with, all attention turns to the national sides and the various tournaments, qualifiers, and friendlies that will be played during the month of June. Just when you thought you were getting a break from footie, here comes more matches! To be honest there probably are too many matches each year. The numerous fixtures are draining on the players and it’s difficult for casual fans to keep up with what sort of fixture is being played.

The Nations League has started for England and many other European countries. This “league” was created to replace friendly fixtures and to give them a little more competitive impetus. It remains to be seen just how important these fixtures are. Some of the players take them seriously, but many superstars have little interest in playing glorified friendlies after a long season. Manchester City and Belgium star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is one player who has recently voiced his dissatisfaction with the set-up. Really though, like everything with UEFA/FIFA, it’s about money. It’s all about increasing match revenue and TV ratings, which in turn creates more money for UEFA and the FA of a given country.

England’s first match was yesterday against Hungary. The match was played in Budapest, but it was supposed to be played in an empty stadium as a penalty on the Hungarian FA for allowing racist chants from supporters the last time England played there during World Cup qualification. Hungary’s FA has however found a loophole in that punishment, as they filled the stadium with roughly 20,000 or so children 14 and under with one adult per every 10 kids. It seems they can sell youth tickets to a match, even when they are not supposed to be making any money at all off ticket sales. UEFA doesn’t really seem to have a problem with this either, which proves that their anti-racism campaign is an utter joke and that they don’t really care about addressing the problem of racism in football. If the options are either 1) making money or 2) actually doing something to effectively punish an FA for racism, UEFA is going with option 1 every time.

The match itself was downright boring, with England losing 1-0 after a fairly dubious penalty decision which striker Dominik Szoboszlai converted from the spot. England’s style of boring football under manager Gareth Southgate reared it’s dull head again, and many have criticized Southgate for not really going for it. He needs to decide on a back-3 vs. a back-4 for England. Given that we like to build from the back, the make-up of the defensive back line is key for building attacks. Both formulas can be successful, but he needs to make up his mind and figure out what personnel are best-suited for the formation in question. Being overly-defensive cost us against Italy in 2021, and also against Croatia in 2018. I realize this was effectively a friendly after a long and grueling season in which England were missing some regular starters, but this result and the manner it was achieved does not make me feel excited about the prospect of the World Cup in November. The match on Tuesday against Germany will be more indicative of where England is as a squad. Any match against Ze Germans is never a friendly.

***

The positive action from today was Wales defeating Ukraine 1-0 and qualifying for their first World Cup in 64 years! The winning goal was the result of a free-kick from superstar winger/forward Gareth Bale, which took a deflection off the head of Ukraine winger/forward Andriy Yarmolenko before going in. The Welsh join England, USA, and Iran in Group B at World Cup 2022!

Commiserations to Ukraine of course. This was a team that the whole world – aside from Wales – was cheering for. They’ve had a really rough go of it recently as a country, and their football team doing well was one of the few positives they could hang their hats on. Indeed, had there not been an active war in their country, these qualification matches would have been sorted out earlier this year. Their victory over a frankly hapless Scotland side earlier this week gave them so much hope for qualification, only to fall short against Bale, keeper Wayne Hennessey, and the Welsh defense. All of the Ukrainian players are still heroes though, and as an England supporter I am happy to not have to deal with them come November. Ukraine will be back, though. Andriy Shevchenko is a talented manager, and they have the footballing heritage to rise again.

Take nothing away from Wales though, as they were underdogs with something to prove in their own right. This was Bale’s last chance at a World Cup, and his free-kick is the reason that Wales are in it. Due to their lack of depth in talent, the Welsh usually go as Bale goes. If he plays well, they have a strong chance to win. If he doesn’t play well or is marked out of the game, Wales usually struggle. He is the most decorated British player in the history of Real Madrid, and he knows this will be his final chance to make his mark on the most prestigious tournament in the world.

Excited for a British derby in Qatar!

A Disappointing Defeat on Derby Day

Manchester United travelled to the eastern part of Manchester to take on Manchester City today at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League. I was apprehensive about this matchup, as City are arguably the best team in England and United have been inconsistent in the Prem this season. To make matters worse, United were without Cristiano Ronaldo (injury), Edinson Cavani (injury), Luke Shaw, and Raphael Varane (both positive for Covid-19). On another day, all four of those players would be starting a big match such as this one. City needed a win to maintain their grip on first place, while United needed a win to move back into 4th place having been leapfrogged by Arsenal earlier in the day.

Neither half was good for United, but the first was definitely better than the second. City were attacking United down their left hand side and finding a lot of success. The entire back four had a crappy game, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire were particularly poor. City’s all-world attacking players were running rings around them for most of the match. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne got City’s first after a cross from the left along the ground fell to him. It was only 5 minutes in that he scored and I knew it was going to be a long day after that. Picked apart after a scant 5 minutes of play is exceedingly poor.

United did get an equalizer though, and it was thanks to their best passing move of the match. The ball broke for Jadon Sancho in a forward position, and he did very well to create some space for a shot that he buried into the opposite corner from the left hand side of the 18 yard box. Several good passes leading up to the goal, and United were level at 1-1. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. It gave me a glimmer of hope that United might be able to take something from this.

United were behind again just before halftime, and it was again De Bruyne on the spot to put it away. United were again torn open on the left hand side, and they lost the ball in their own half in a very dangerous position after a failed clearanced. Attacking midfield/forward Phil Foden then showed why he is one of England’s brightest prospects. His touch and control in the box took Victor Lindelof out of the play altogether, and although his shot came back off the post and the follow-up was blocked, the ball eventually fell to De Bruyne who buried a shot from close range. No chance for United keeper David De Gea. Some excellent play and passing by City, with United’s defense unable to cope. 2-1 at halftime wasn’t a great score line, but I did try to console myself with the fact that it could have been much worse.

Whatever semblance of strategy United were playing with in the first half, it was completely gone about 5 minutes into the second half. City were on the ball a lot more, and it was near impossible to get it off them. When United did have the ball, they looked lost and couldn’t figure out where to play it. Some awful passing the final third usually led to a City counter-attack, which United would have to get back quickly to defend. If another goal was to come, you’d put your money on City bagging it. Manager Ralf Rangnick tried to inject some more pace into the attack by bringing on Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard, but they didn’t really do much to help relieve any of the pressure United were under.

The third City goal was a fairly poor one to concede. A cross from a corner was played over the top by De Bruyne, with the ball not being touched until it fell to the feet of winger Riyad Mahrez. He stepped forward and swept the ball towards goal with his left foot, and the ball curled around the men in front of him and into the left hand corner of De Gea’s net. Good skill from De Bruyne and Mahrez to be sure, but where was the defending? Why was Mahrez virtually on his own in that position? The entire move was two kicks and the ball was in the net! Horrendous.

That’s when the wheels fell off. United stopped trying. Plain and simple. They capitulated completely and it was a miracle that City only got one more goal. Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan brought the ball forward after a poor clearance from De Gea, and he found Mahrez on a neat diagonal run in behind the United defense. There was a hint of offside to the goal perhaps, but a crisp finish from Mahrez put City up 4-1. If it wasn’t over before, it certainly was at that point.

It’ one thing to lose to the best team, but it’s another thing to lose in the manner that United lost. It was just complete and total surrender! Rashford and Lingard were useless substitutes. Bruno Fernandes misplaced passes left and right. Wan-Bissaka and Maguire were at sixes and sevens the entire match. It was even unclear what our tactics were in the second half, thanks to some incredibly poor execution. City were toying with us for the final 30 minutes or so. Utterly disgusting.

This match is the perfect metaphor for the season – so much promise but in the end regression and disappointment. I’m numb to it at this point. A result like this would have shattered me a few years ago, but today I don’t even really feel anything. This was supposed to be the season we made a legitimate title charge, but it’s all gone pear-shaped. Does this club need a sports psychologist? An exorcist? I don’t even know anymore. From ownership down, this club needs to be revamped completely. I almost don’t want us to qualify for European play next season because then we would get a little bit of a re-set. I expect at least 6-7 of these current players to go in the summer. It’s true that Rangnick did not have the best game as manager, but this result is 90% on the players. The tactical plan doesn’t matter if they players stop trying 2/3rds of the way through the match.

I don’t even care who or when we play next. We need a miracle to place in the top-4 now.

Euro 2020(1) Quarterfinals – Two Tense Matches on Day 1

A few days off were needed for travel purposes, but the Euro 2020(1) quarterfinals got underway today with the first two games. Next two are tomorrow. All 8 of the remaining teams went in to the weekend knowing they were only three matches away from European glory. Spain took on Switzerland in St. Petersburg, Russia before the heavyweight fight between Italy and Belgium in Munich, Germany.

Spain vs. Switzerland

The Spanish were favorites coming into this match, as they boasted a lot more talent than the Swiss and are in a very rich vein of form. They have scored 10 goals in their past two matches, which is always impressive at a tournament. The Swiss however will not be afraid of anyone, having already slain the Goliath known as France. Importantly however, their captain and best midfielder Granit Xhaka was suspended due to yellow card accumulation. With Xhaka out, I thought the task just might be a tad too tall for the Swiss today.

It was clear from the outset what each team’s strategy was. The Spanish started out with their traditional possession-based game and the Swiss were quite content to let them have the ball a bit. The Swiss pressed on occasion and were trying to force the Spanish into mistakes high-up the pitch. That’s not a bad strategy as Spain can be prone to mistakes at the back, but it all went to hell for the Swiss less than 10 minutes in when Spain left back Jordi Alba fired a shot from a loose ball into the Swiss penalty area. The shot was somewhat hopeful and speculative, but it was effective nonetheless as it was redirected into the Swiss goal past keeper Yann Sommer on accident by defensive midfielder Denis Zakaria. Alba was credited with the goal initially by UEFA but they later changed it to an own-goal from Zakaria, which was probably harsh on Zakaria as Alba’s shot appeared to be on target. In any event, it was unlucky for the Swiss.

The rest of the half passed mostly without incident. Somewhat tepid, to be honest. Switzerland were again unlucky to see starting forward Breel Embolo go off after 20 minutes with a hamstring injury, and Spain were guilty of wasting a good chance that resulted from a free header by left back Cesar Azpilicueta. Aside from that though, not much else happened in the first half.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first, not a lot between the two sides. The Swiss were starting to ask more questions of the Spanish defense though, and Zakaria was again unlucky to see his header go just wide from a corner. The Swiss had an excellent chance come via midfielder Steven Zuber who forced a fine save from a tight angle by Spanish keeper Unai Simon.

The Swiss got their equalizer however just five minutes after that shot across the bow via Xherdan Shaqiri, a man affectionately known as “The Cube” by supporters due to his box-like physique. Two Spanish defenders (Pau Torres and Aymeric Laporte) both went for the same ball and their collision resulted in a loose ball that was pounced on by Swiss midfielder Remo Freuler. Freuler did well to find Shaqiri a few yards to his left, and The Cube made no mistake with a finish along the ground and off the inside of the left-hand post. The Swiss had fought back again, despite not really looking like doing so for good portions of the match.

Freuler found himself in the center of things again a few minutes later, but this time for negative reasons. He went into a tackle with both feet and his feet lifted off the ground, and made some very harsh contact with the Spanish player on the ball. English referee Michael Oliver went straight into his pocket and produced a red card. Upon review it was a rash tackle, and while you don’t always get a red card for such a challenge, it is very risky to try and tackle with both feet. You are inviting danger when you do that, and Freuler was punished for it.

Spain went into the ascendency after that due to the Swiss being down a man, but they could not make the most of their advantage and failed to score another in normal time. Extra time would be needed, which was a significant disadvantage for the tiring Swiss players. Having to play another 30 minutes with 10 men whilst having already played a full 90 is positively exhausting. However, again, Spain could not take advantage, despite some excellent chances falling to striker Gerard Moreno.

Penalties came and it was evident the fatigue being felt by the Swiss players. Spain missed two penalties themselves, but the Swiss could only convert one of them. Simon made two fine saves for sure, but I saw some very tired penalties from the Swiss. They were either hit too soft or blazed over the bar, because when fatigue sets in to the legs it is very difficult to maintain your technique and control when striking the ball. Perhaps if all 11 men had played until the end it would have ended differently, but of course now we’ll never know.

Credit to the Spanish for converting their penalties, but I would be very concerned about the semifinal if I was a Spaniard. The theme of poor finishing and defensive mistakes continued today, and against a more talented side they could have easily lost.

Spain advance to the semifinals at Wembley in midweek, where they await the winner of Belgium and Italy.

Belgium vs. Italy

Loads of talking points for this match, as it probably is the most intriguing fixture of the quarterfinals. Italy have the history of winning basically everything at major tournaments, although up until this tournament started there were questions concerning inexperience among this current batch of Italian players. They’ve done well this tournament, but their previous match against Austria caused some concerns among supporters about their ability to kill of teams effectively.

The Belgians come in with their current “Golden Generation” of players that are absolutely desperate to win the first major trophy for their country of any kind. Center forward Romelu Lukaku was in excellent form, but the major concern for Belgium was the fitness of star players Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard. Both of them are carrying injuries, but De Bruyne in particular is key to Belgian success at this tournament. As I have said before, there are serious arguments for De Bruyne being labelled as the best attacking midfielder in the world. De Bruyne did play in this match but Hazard did not.

Two great managers here too – Roberto Mancini for Italy and Roberto Martinez for Belgium. Interestingly, the last time these two managers faced off it was during an FA Cup final at Wembley, with Martinez’s Wigan Athletic pulling a shock upset over Mancini’s Manchester City.

The match was a little slow to start things off, with neither side really threatening the other in the first 10 minutes. Italy had the ball in the back of the Belgian net on 12 minutes though after a free kick found center back Giorgio Chiellini for a tap in, but after a VAR check the goal was correctly disallowed for offside. Chiellini was about a foot ahead of the ball when it came off his fellow defender Leonardo Bonucci. The tempo of the match did increase after that though, as Belgium knew they were given a let off. Romelu Lukaku did well to force a save from Gianluigi Donnarumma low to his right after good work from De Bruyne on a counter-attack. Gauging how this match would go from that point, it was likely that the team that made the fewest mistakes would go on to win. These teams were simply too evenly matched to call it one way or another. Good for the neutral of course, but nerve-wracking for supporters of the two countries.

You could call this fixture a chess match given all the tactical switching and formation changes by both teams throughout the opening half, but people tend to think of chess matches as boring and this game was anything but. End-to-end play that felt at times more like basketball than footie. The pace and energy from both teams was absolutely relentless.

The Italians broke the deadlock on 31 minutes via midfielder Nicolo Barella after a poor giveaway by Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen. The ball fell to the dangerous playmaker Marco Veratti who played in Barella, and he made no mistake with his finish over the top of Belgian keeper Thibault Courtois. Italy were even more energized by their goal and were able to grab another one from winger Lorenzo Insigne 12 minutes later. The first Italian goal was good, but the second one was a work of art from Insigne. He carried the ball about 50 yards, slaloming past a Belgian defender before shooting from the edge of the box. He got a lot of curl on the ball and the pace of it gave Courtois no chance to save. Truly breathtaking and a candidate for goal of the tournament.

The drama of the first half was not over though, as a penalty was awarded to Belgium just two minutes later in stoppage time. Teenage Belgian winger Jeremy Doku did well to beat his marker with pace in the left channel, and he went down inside the box after a shove in the back. The penalty was probably soft by most standards and the Italians were strenuously complaining, but VAR checked and the penalty stood. It’s a bit rich for Italians to complain about players going down too easily anyway, when they are the ones historically known as egregious divers. Lukaku stepped up to the spot and coolly put the ball past Donnarumma after sending him the wrong way.

The chaos continued in the second half, with both sides fashioning good chances but neither being able to finish them. Both Lukaku and Insigne were on fire and there were times when neither defense could get near those two players. There were more injuries and fouls in the second half as well, which wasn’t surprising given the effort and energy being put in by the players. The stoppages were really just temporary lulls in this hurricane of a match.

But the onus was on the Belgians to find an equalizer, and the Italians made subs that indicated they were going more defensive for the final 15 minutes or so, including switching to a back-5. They battened down the hatches and simply let Belgium come at them. It should be pointed out that as the game went on the Italians were engaging in what I like to call “shithousery”, meaning they were doing everything and anything to slow down the game without being penalized for it. They were taking their time with injuries, fouls, substitutions, and just generally wasting as much time as possible. While these Italians might play more attractive football than in the past, they clearly have not forgotten their traditional methods of gamesmanship mastered by their predecessors. I don’t like it as a tactic, but of course every team does it in matches of great importance.

The Belgians just couldn’t fashion another solid chance against the impregnable Italian back line, and the whistle finally blew. Italy held on to win despite a valiant effort from Belgium.

Italy will play Spain on Tuesday, July 6 at Wembley.

Tomorrow

Czech Republic vs. Denmark (9 am PDT)

England vs. Ukraine (Noon PDT)

I like England’s chances against Ukraine but they are a team with nothing to lose. No side should be taken lightly at this point. If a team makes the quarterfinals of a major tournament, that team is there for a reason.

Euro 2020(1) Round of 16, Day 2 – We Finally Have an Upset!

The next two knockout matches happened today in the Round of 16 at Euro 2020(1). Netherlands took on Czech Republic in Budapest, Hungary and there was a highly enticing matchup between Belgium and Portugal in Sevilla, Spain.

Netherlands vs. Czech Republic

The Dutch came into this match as group winners and appeared to be in great scoring form. They tallied 8 goals in the group stage and won all 3 matches despite some worries in defense. They were favored over the Czechs probably due to the amount of talent they have in attack, including players like Memphis Depay, Georgino Wijnaldum, and Denzel Dumfries. They have pace and quickness that I thought would very much trouble the Czech back line.

The Czechs came in having placed 3rd in Group D, and despite that finish they have showed flashes of footballing competence, primarily from striker Patrik Schick. He has the goal of the tournament already with his 50 yard chip vs. Scotland, and the Czechs may have surprised a few with their team displays thus far. Much like Austria yesterday, what they lack in superstar talent they make up for in team unity, discipline, and tactical nous.

Despite a lively start from the Dutch and the Czechs growing into the game a little later, the first half ended scoreless. Each side had crafted the occasional half-chance here and there, but the ball was frequently changing possession in midfield while both sides attempted to stamp some degree of authority on the game. You felt that the second half would be much more intense as the two sides tried to find a winner.

And the second half was really where this game changed. About 10 minutes after the restart, Dutch defender Matthijs De Ligt was adjudged to have handled the ball just outside his own penalty area. The ref issued a yellow card at first, but after a VAR check the foul was upgraded to a red card. There was no penalty due to the handball being outside the penalty box, but the Dutch did suffer the consequence of having to play the last 35 minutes or so with only 10 men. The red card was certainly controversial, but it did appear that Shick would have had a clear goal scoring opportunity if not for the handball. Further, while it’s not 100% clear if De Ligt intentionally handled the ball, he has to be aware as a professional footballer that using your hand for any reason is always a bad idea and should be avoided at all costs. It was an awkward situation for De Ligt to deal with, but had he simply fallen on the ball there’s a good chance he would have won possession or at least a foul for his team. Instead though, he was off and the Dutch had to sacrifice an attacking player to shore up the defense. To add insult to injury, De Ligt is arguably the best defensive player in the Netherlands squad. Losing him was very much a double-whammy.

The red card really emboldened the Czechs and they became the more dominant side fairly quickly. There are talented players in this side, and they showed that by scoring the opener that really put the Dutch on the back foot. A cross from the right corner was over hit, but retrieved by Czech defender Tomas Kalas and played back into the box. The ball went over one Czech head but fellow defender Tomas Holes (pronounced HO-lesh) was at the back post to nod the Czechs in front. It was a very impressive header and a good cross back in, but again there were questions as to what the Dutch defense was doing. Holes was basically unmarked and was able to use his position to generate power on his header. Ecstasy for the Czechs, misery for the Dutch.

The Dutch then pushed for an equalizer due to not having any other choice, but that is always risky when you are a man down. They had plenty of possession in the closing minutes but the Czech defense shut them down time and time again. The Czechs then broke quickly and Schick got his 4th goal of the tournament after a fairly simple cross in to his feet from the left side. He hit the ball in stride and glided it past Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg at his near post. Even though there was about 10 minutes left still, you felt that the Dutch were done. They couldn’t break down the Czech defense or put them consistently under pressure, and all credit to the Czechs for taking advantage of having an extra man.

This is by far the biggest upset of the tournament so far, and it’s what the tournament was crying out for. De Ligt blamed himself entirely for the loss, but he’s being a tad harsh on himself. Yes the red card changed everything, but the Dutch response to it was also lacking. The Dutch were being looked at by some as a contender to win the whole thing after their performance in the group stage, but today they were undone by a well-organized and disciplined team. Such is the beauty and agony of football – sometimes the team with the best players loses and that is precisely what happened today. Schick is now joint top-scorer at this tournament and who is to say that the Czechs can’t continue winning? This victory will galvanize them and do wonders for their self-confidence and belief. Well done to them!

The Czechs will travel to Azerbaijan for a quarterfinal matchup with Denmark.

Belgium vs. Portugal

This matchup is one of those that makes football fans salivate. Both teams are loaded with superstars, and both teams are probably among the favorites to win the tournament. Portugal are reigning European champions and boast the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Ruben Dias among their ranks. There are some question marks about Portugal’s tactical set up on occasion, but again they have more than enough talent to go win this thing.

Belgium have traditionally been underperformers at major tournaments, and while their window to win a first major international trophy with this current “Golden Generation” is slowly closing, it’s still cracked open a bit. They will be relying on all-world talents like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Eden Hazard to go and get them some goals. De Bruyne in particular is, for me, the best attacking midfielder in the world right now.

The first 30 minutes or so were pretty tentative, perhaps even spilling over into the category of testy. Neither side’s attack really got going at first, and the match had the feel of a heavyweight title bout where neither fighter wants to make a mistake early on. Both defenses were highly organized and defending well. Many attacks from both sides simply just petered out when it came time for the final pass or final move to create a chance. Ronaldo did well to test Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois with a dipping free kick from about 25 yards on the right side and striker Diogo Jota should have done better from close range shortly after that.

Belgium however opened the scoring about 3 minutes before half time when the ball fell to Thorgan Hazard (Eden’s younger brother) on the edge of the penalty area about 20 yards from goal. He took a touch to get the ball onto his right foot, and then lashed an almighty shot towards Rui Patricio in the Portuguese goal. The strike swerved in the air and wrong-footed Patricio, and he could not recover to get over to the ball until it was already in the back of his net. Not many expected Thorgan to get a goal, but with that strike he showed that it’s not just his older brother that can score goals in that family. At halftime, it was 1-0 and Belgium were buoyant.

The Portuguese knew they would need a swift response having gone down just before the half. Bruno and wunderkind Joao Felix were brought on by Portugal for more power in attack, and indeed they began to see more of the ball in the Belgian half of the pitch. Belgium held strong though and Portuguese attacks repeatedly came to nothing. The tension grew throughout the match as well, with players pushing and shoving each other after fouls. Somewhat frustratingly for neutral viewers, the Portuguese were hitting the deck every time the Belgians challenged for the ball in an effort to win free kicks. To be fair, some of the challenges were heavy and worthy of fouls, but no one wants to watch the players on their team fall over anytime the opposition is near them. It is part of the game, but its cynical and negative.

The best chances for Portugal came with about 10 minutes left when a cross came in from a corner that was headed at the goal from point blank range by Dias. Unfortunately for him, the header was straight at Courtois and he parried it with his fists. He got a ton of power on the header, and if he managed to hit it anywhere else but straight forward it would have been an equalizer. Portugal left back Raphael Guerreiro was then unlucky to hit the base of the post with a shot from distance. They pumped cross after cross into the box, but they were all met by a Belgian head. They tried to play through the middle on the ground, but again Belgium always managed to get someone in the way.

All credit to the Belgian back line, in particular the center backs Thomas Vermaelen and Toby Alderweireld. They are getting long in the tooth but their experience cannot be discounted, as evidenced by their positioning and tackling today. Those two dealt with everything that came at them and did so fairly convincingly as well. Everyone knew Belgium could score, but the age of Vermaelen and Alderweireld led many to speculate that they couldn’t keep pace defensively. Having a confident center back pairing is always good, but especially so in tournament play. Indeed, defensive prowess is primarily how Portugal won Euro 2016.

But the defending champions are out now! Time to get some new blood in there if you ask me. Belgium have never won a major trophy as a team before, and they showed today they can beat another heavyweight if need be.

Belgium will take on Italy in yet another mouth-watering fixture next Friday in Munich.

Tomorrow

Croatia vs. Spain (9 am PDT)

France vs. Switzerland (Noon PDT)